


Behind Her Cold Facade

by Snugglebuttkitten



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 07:01:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19224040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: This is a repost but is also a preview for a Lukagami-centric story that I have in the works called "My Heart Beats For You"





	Behind Her Cold Facade

**Author's Note:**

> This is a repost but is also a preview for a Lukagami-centric story that I have in the works called "My Heart Beats For You"

The explosion was powerful enough to shake the very foundation of the building, and Kagami felt her eyes close in frustration. Not now;  _please_ not now. It was Monday morning and she had been preparing for this board meeting all weekend. Since graduating high school at sixteen (with honors no less), Kagami had been working at the law firm her parents’ owned. She had started as an intern, but after graduating Law School (again, with honors), she had been working her way up the ranks and was  _finally_ on the brink of making Partner. She just had to land this final investor and the promotion was as good as hers. Despite what a lot of the firm’s other lawyers thoughts, the youngest member of the Tsurugi family hadn’t gotten to where she was through her connections. Her skill in the courtroom was  _only_ rivaled by her parents and one other person, Sterling Prince.

Like Kagami, Sterling had graduated early at the top of his class and had excelled in Law School. They had both attended Leiden University, had been rivals from the day they met at Freshman Orientation, and it was  _just_ like him to attempt to take her parent’s firm right out from under her. She had no plans on allowing that to happen. All she had to do was land this investor, and the Tsurugi & Tsurugi Firm would become the Tsurugi, Tsurugi, & Tsurugi Firm. How typical it was that an Akuma would have to attack _now_. Kagami’s smile tightened, her eyes darting towards the wall of windows on the right side of the room to gauge how close the attack was. Ladybug and Chat Noir had been handling Akuma Attacks for years; they could manage without her stepping in just this once. This was too important. But even as she continued to try and speak over the occasional explosions that were drawing steadily nearer, Kagami found herself incapable of truly focusing on the meeting anymore.

Ever since she had received her Miraculous when she was eighteen, there had been this powerful draw that pulled at her whenever an Akuma attack was in progress. The need to fight, to join her comrades in battle to take out the latest threat to her home was simply too powerful to ignore. At least the approaching Akuma gave her a good reason to put the meeting on hold and evacuate the building. If it had been on the other side of the city, she would have been hard-pressed to find an excuse that wouldn’t utterly demolish her chance at Partner. Apologizing profusely and with a gracious smile, Kagami ushered the investors out of the room with a gracious smile and a promise to call in the morning to reschedule the meeting. She waited until they had all piled into the elevator before making a vague comment about checking the floor for anyone else before joining them away from the danger zone. It was an easy lie. They didn’t work here and wouldn’t know that at this time of morning on a Monday, all of the other staff was two floors down in the largest breakroom, having a meeting over donuts and coffee.

Kagami would usually be with them, albeit with tea and oatmeal, but this had been the most optimal time in her busy schedule to meet with the investors. She would be hard-pressed to find a new time for them to meet, but she would manage. She was the daughter of Mei Ling and Xiang Tsurugi; more than that, she was a heroine of Paris. There were few people who knew how to manage their time better than she did. Confident that she was now alone on the fifteenth floor, Kagami entered the boardroom once more and opened up the briefcase she had left sitting on the small table near the projector. Popping the clasps, she opened the case and immediately a red and black creature floated up before her eyes, his yellow eyes bright with excitement.

“Finally! I thought that meeting would  _never_ end,” he huffed dramatically, eliciting a soft chuckle from the girl.

“It wasn’t that bad, Draaco. You’re being excessive,” she admonished gently, though the amused gleam in her brown eyes was unmistakable. In the years she had gotten to know her secret friend and companion, Kagami had permitted herself to loosen up just a bit around the tiny God. She was always so carefully controlled around everyone else, it was good to show a hint of emotion around the Kwami. A relief, almost.

“Whatever you say. Anyway, I heard explosions. Is there an Akuma?” He brushed off her admonishments easily, never taking them to heart. Kagami nodded.

“Yeah, you ready?” She asked politely. Draaco nodded eagerly and for the first time all day, a genuine smile lit the girl’s face and the barest hint of excitement entered her brown eyes. She wouldn’t admit it, but transforming was as much a thrill for her as it was for Draaco. “Alright then, Draaco.  _Flame on_!”

The Transformation washed over her, welcome and familiar. Warm magic rushed over her from head to toe, turning her from Kagami Tsurugi into Crimson Dragon, one of Paris’ beloved Heroines. Her outfit was predominantly blood red. Her chest plate was cream, her knee-length boots and elbow length gloves black. A spiked ridge ran down her spine, starting at her neck and continuing down to the tip of her thick red tail. A pair of black and red wings extended from her shoulder blades which acted as a glider, and between those her twin katanas were strapped and ready to use. Her mask was a deep red domino mask, but the ends were black and curved down over her cheeks. Her eyes were brighter, more amber than brown, with slitted pupils.

When the light of her transformation faded, Crimson Dragon strode purposefully over to the wall to ceiling windows. They didn’t open, but that didn’t deter her. Ladybug’s magic would fix anything destroyed during the Akuma attack, and that included damages that she made in getting herself out of the building quickly. So it was only with the slightest hint of remorse that she pulled her foot back and struck out, slamming her heel into the glass with all her might. Her supernatural strength kicked in effortlessly, shattering the window. Crimson stepped onto the ledge, glass crunching beneath her booted feet, and spared a brief glance at her surroundings before tipping forward and allowing herself to fall. Wind whipped through her short blue-black hair and she briefly relished in the exhilaration of free-falling through open air before her wings snapped open and she glided gracefully down to a lower roof. The moment her feet touched down, her wings folded and she took off running towards the Akuma, hoping to minimize the damage it caused until backup could arrive.

  
  


If there was one thing that made being a secret superhero easy, it was being his own boss. In the years since he had dropped out of High School when he was sixteen, Luka Couffaine had give labels a valiant effort, but they just weren’t for him. Agents, he had discovered, had a bad habit of wanting to change him. Who he was, his look, his sound… they were all different, but they all wanted to change _something_ and that just didn’t sit well with the young man. Especially the one who had tried to change his sound. His sound was what had gotten him his rising fanbase when he was a teen; he had been perfecting it for years and had no intention of changing that now. After the sixth or seventh agent, Luka had given up. Not on music, but on labels.

Since then, Luka had become an indie musician who traveled around doing gigs at clubs and parties until his popularity had skyrocketed and he was able to start his own label. And because he controlled his own schedule, it was only too easy to pack up his guitar and leave the studio when he got the phone alert about the Akuma attack in downtown. He left his guitar in the studio near the door and left his motorcycle parked outside. He would pick them up later. For now, it was much faster to duck into an alley and transform. When he was sure the coast was clear, Luka pulled his leather jacket open, and immediately the green and black Kwami rose from the hidden pocket he’d had sewn inside. The Kwami sighed, mouth curved down in a frown.

“Musssst we transsssform, Luka? I wasss enjoying my nap,” the Kwami complained.

“Sorry, Faang, but duty calls.  _Scales on!_ ” He said with an apologetic grin. His only answer was another groan as the Kwami was sucked into the Miraculous and his transformation began. When the sparkling green light faded, Luka was gone and Viper had taken his place. His suit was teal and black, designed to look like he was covered in scales, with a muscled chest plate that was stronger than kevlar. His mask was teal, almost blending into the tips of his ears, and his pupils were slitted like a snake's. A bow and a quiver of arrows were attached to his back, awaiting the moment he had need of them. Springing straight up, Viper hopped easily onto the building and without preamble, took off towards the battle where he found Chat Noir, Ladybug, and Crimson Dragon already engaging the Akuma, which very closely resembled the beast in the latest Godzilla movie.

Viper found a roof out of the way and took up his bow and an arrow. He was decent at close range attacks, but his specialty was long range. He often acted as back up, covering his teammates from afar. His sharp eyesight and intelligence practically allowed him to predict what would happen in a battle before it actually happened. And so it was with a careful focus that he notched the arrow, took aim, and fired when he noticed his own partner, Crimson Dragon, take a flying leap at the beast with both swords drawn. His aim was true, the tip piercing the charm on the necklace the beast wore around its throat. The man’s transformation fell instantly, Ladybug lunging to catch him while Crimson, not expecting the mountain of a beast to suddenly disappear, had to scramble to keep from careening into the side of a building.

Viper remained on the rooftop until the Akuma had been purified and the city restored before he turned away. It had been an easy day; he hadn’t even needed to use his powers. Perhaps he would remain in the suit a while longer, stretch his limbs after being cooped up in the studio for the last twenty-four hours. Turning away, he slung his bow over his shoulder and was about to leap away when a new voice sliced through the air, as sharp as the owner’s Katanas could slice through enemies.

“What the hell was that!?”

Viper turned slowly, watching his partner approach him like a red avenging angel. Gods, but she was beautiful when she was angry. Viper had learned long ago that his partner was stiff and formal with everyone she met and that she didn’t open up, even with time. He wouldn’t exactly call her  _cold_ but she was definitely closed-off and private and she didn’t like it when others meddled in her business. Viper honestly hadn’t liked her much when they first met, she was way too uptight for him. But when he had seen her lose her temper for the first time on their fourth or fifth Akuma, things changed. He heard her heartsong for the first time since he had met her and it was such a  _passionate_ song, so full of life and fire compared to this icy persona she put off that he couldn’t help but fall head over heels for her.

“What was what?” The boy asked warily, turning fully to face the girl as she came to a stop before him. A full head shorter than he was, she had to crane her neck back to look at him both that only endeared her to him more. It took everything in his power not to grab her and crush his mouth to hers. He wanted to see what else made her tick, what made her lose control. He wanted her to come undone beneath his fingertips as he played her just like he played his guitar… but he didn’t fancy being run through with a katana, so he held himself back.

“ _That_ ,” she hissed, gesturing violently behind her to where the Akuma had once stood. “I  _had_ him, that was  _my_ shot! You had no right to get in my way,” she snarled, eyes sparkling with anger. Luka blinked slowly before his face softened into an affectionate smile. Crimson blinked, startled by the gentleness in his gaze no doubt, and took a healthy step back. He didn’t close the distance she put between them, no matter how much he wanted to. He had long ago deduced that his partner wasn’t used to people caring so deeply for her and that scared her. He could hear it in her heartsong now, the way it stuttered and skipped around ad a wave of uncertainty washed over her. He didn’t want to scare her; he wanted to gain her trust, her love, and he would. No matter how long it took, her heart would be his and when it was, he would cherish it with all of his and never let go. But now wasn’t the time for that. Now, he had to act like they were just partners, like he wasn’t head-over-heels, crazy in love with this secretly passionate and fiery woman.

“I’m sorry. That was wrong of me,” he apologized. He knew better than to tell her that he had been protecting her. She was so independent; she would hate it if she felt he thought her weak or incapable. He didn’t, of course, but with their relationship as it was now, that’s how she would take it. No, he would keep that little tidbit to himself. She didn’t need to know how the Akuma was seconds away from swatting her out of the air like an obnoxious fly.

“Don’t let it happen again; if I can take the shot, stay out of my way,” she growled shortly, turning away.

“I wouldn’t dream of it,  _mon rouge chéri_ ,” he murmured quietly. He watched Crimson stiffen, her shoulders pulling close to her ears and her hand tightening around her Katana, and he couldn’t tell for sure but he swore that the tips of her ears turned red. And then she was gone, flitting away as quickly as she had come. Viper watched her until long after she was out of sight before sighing and turning away. Someday, somehow, he would get that girl to love him back. Even if it took years, he would win her trust and her heart, or he would die trying.

 

 

 

**Hey, fellow Miraculous Ladybug lovers! Did you enjoy this story? Want more? I am currently accepting requests for pairings and scene suggestions for this drabble series, as well as for short stories in general. I am trying to get my fanbase more involved with my writing, I want to connect with you guys and put out things YOU specifically want to read. So, if you have a request or simply wish to talk, then pop on over to my[Discord](https://discord.gg/hUCz2rU)! My discord channel is brand new and is a great, safe, and family friendly place to discuss the show (or other fandoms), roleplay, request a short story, or ask me any questions you might have about the anime. You will also be updated immediately when a new chapter is posted on any of my fics, as well as receive suggestions for some of my favorite fanfiction authors on the site that you may not know about. Discord is easy to use and understand, for those of you who don't have one and can be used to talk verbally or through chat. It can be used on laptops and on mobile. It is a safe, easy way to connect with people who also enjoy the fandom. Hope to see you there and as always, stay Pawsome and have a Meowvelous Day!**

**\--Kitty**

**Author's Note:**

> Lemme know what you think!


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